A top Pennsylvania Republican senator says he doesn\u2019t \u201csee any path whatsoever\u201d to pass marijuana legalization as requested under the governor\u2019s latest budget. But a Democratic House colleague is pushing for the reform, saying he can\u2019t understand why Pennsylvania would forgo tax dollars from cannabis that are currently going to other states.<\/p>\n
At the same time, the state secretary for the Department of Revenue is predicting that the governor\u2019s legalization plan could be enacted during the current budget cycle, indicating that he feels reform could start to be implemented within months.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see any path whatsoever,\u201d Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Martin (R) said in an interview on Tuesday, responding to Gov. Josh Shapiro\u2019s (D) budget request to enact legalization.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s many states that have promised revenues that never materialized on the level that they said, but there\u2019s something to be said about not jumping fully into the pool when you can\u2019t answer all those questions,\u201d he said, adding that the argument that Pennsylvania should pass the reform based on surrounding states doing so is a \u201cpretty weak excuse.\u201d<\/p>\n House Appropriations Chairman Jordan Harris (D) had a different perspective on the governor\u2019s budget plan, echoing Shapiro\u2019s argument about the state\u2019s loss of revenue to neighboring legal states.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are going across the state line to go buy cannabis in New York and New Jersey,\u201d he told<\/a> WGAL. \u201cThat\u2019s our tax dollars that should be here. I can\u2019t understand why people wouldn\u2019t want to keep that money in Pennsylvania.\u201d<\/p>\n\n At a House Appropriations Committee hearing on the governor\u2019s plan on Tuesday, members shared opposing takes on the cannabis proposal, with certain GOP lawmakers such as Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (R) expressing concerns about issues related to public health and crime, the costs of implementation and the impact on workforce, for example.<\/p>\n Other lawmakers had questions about the appropriate tax rate for cannabis, how much marijuana officials project will be consumed in the state after legalization and how various agencies would work together to regulate the product.<\/p>\n Separately, Rep. Emily Kinkead (D)\u2014who has sponsored legalization legislation in the past\u2014raised concerns about an apparent lack of social equity language in the governor\u2019s cannabis proposal to ensure that communities that have been most harmed by criminalization can benefit from the legal market.<\/p>\n At a separate Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Joe Picozzi (D) pressed Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne on whether it\u2019s \u201crealistic to assume a legislative solution like this can be fully passed and implemented in order to allow for sales to begin in less than a year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur revenue projections assume\u2014and that\u2019s a statutory matter for the Assembly and the governor to consider and pass\u2014but they assume that the forecast of revenues from this will come as a result of activity in the current cycle,\u201d Browne said.<\/p>\n Similarly, Browne told House lawmakers that state officials will make \u201cevery effort\u201d to ensure that a recreational market is in place to launch by January 1 of next year in line with the governor\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n Rep. Marla Brown (R) asked the revenue official when legislation would need to pass by in order for that to happen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re making the proposal now as part of the budget. Our financial projections are part of the budget,\u201d he replied. \u201cSo anytime within this budget cycle, as the budget is being worked on, would be something we would expect. We\u2019re not anticipating that would happen outside the budget cycle and would happen along with the conversation about the budget. But anytime within that that time frame would allow us to move forward to do what we need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Browne added that officials are\u00a0\u201cworking with the front office\u201d on \u201cthe final product\u201d of legalization legislation. \u201cWhen it\u2019s complete, we\u2019ll make sure that the members of the Assembly have it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n At the separate Senate hearing, Picozzi also asked about potential complications under federal cannabis prohibition as far as tax collection is concerned, and the secretary noted that \u201cwe currently do that\u201d under the state\u2019s medical marijuana program.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is something that is a good benchmark for us,\u201d he said. \u201cOhio is using their medical cannabis system as a platform for the recreational cannabis system, and that is the basis for us determining whether interacting with Washington will be a concern, because their situation regarding medical and recreational, as far as Schedule I, doesn\u2019t change.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo does coming tax revenue generated from the sale of a Schedule I controlled substance expose the general fund to any potential legal ramifications?\u201d Picozzi asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t believe so, given the fact that we are currently in the process of selling medical marijuana,\u201d Browne said.<\/p>\n \u201cWith legalization of adult use recreational cannabis potentially jeopardize any federal funds received by the Commonwealth?\u201d the senator asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does not,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D), meanwhile, said following the governor\u2019s budget speech that \u201cthere is real diversity of opinions among our members,\u201d likely referencing split perspectives on regulatory models, with some lawmakers pushing for a state-run cannabis program.<\/p>\n He also said recently that he feels\u00a0the time is ripe to advance marijuana reform this session<\/a>, saying \u201cit strikes me as abdicating our responsibility to protect our communities and our children, and at the same time, we are losing revenue that is going to go into our neighboring states.\u201d<\/p>\n This comes about a week after Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), who supports marijuana legalization, said the governor\u2019s latest cannabis proposal \u201cundermines\u201d the goals of the reform and has \u201cno real path forward.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have long believed that Pennsylvania needs a responsible, well-regulated adult-use cannabis program that prioritizes public safety, eliminates the illicit market and generates legitimate economic growth,\u201d Laughlin said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I have introduced legislation for the past four years to legalize cannabis in a way that makes sense for consumers, businesses and law enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI take this issue seriously and will continue to work toward a responsible and effective policy,\u201d he said. \u201cUnfortunately, while both [former] Gov. Tom Wolf and now Shapiro have included cannabis revenue projections in their budgets, neither administration has made a genuine effort to work with me or legislative leadership to get a bill passed. Simply projecting revenue without crafting a functional plan does nothing to move Pennsylvania forward.\u201d<\/p>\n This has been a recurring criticism of the governor, who projected in his latest budget request this month that the state stood to generate $536.5 million from legal cannabis sales under his plan, which involves a relatively high tax rate for marijuana compared to other state cannabis markets.<\/p>\n Laughlin isn\u2019t alone in his\u00a0skepticism about the governor\u2019s ability to see through the cannabis reform<\/a>\u00a0he\u2019s proposing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe governor needs to lead on something. If he wants something done, he needs to lead on it,\u201d Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R) said. \u201cHe can\u2019t throw an idea out there\u2014which he did last year\u2014and say, \u2018Let the legislature figure it out. I\u2019ll sign it. Then I\u2019ll go do press conferences all over the state.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n House Minority Leader Jesse Topper (R) was also asked about the prospect of enacting various of the governor\u2019s budget proposals, including marijuana. And he said while he\u2019s \u201cnot going to speak for the governor,\u201d there\u2019s \u201cone person that has the ability to bring those deals together\u2014and that is the governor.\u201d<\/p>\n He referenced recent remarks from Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R) who said\u00a0there are logistical challenges to advancing legalization<\/a>\u00a0that he\u2019s unsure lawmakers will be able to overcome.<\/p>\n The feedback from GOP lawmakers is reminiscent of earlier criticism from the caucus about the governor, who they\u2019ve claimed has\u00a0made the call for reform without meaningfully engaging with the legislature<\/a>\u00a0about how to get it done.<\/p>\n Also, the new Republican state attorney general of Pennsylvania recently raised concerns about\u00a0the \u201cpotential harm that could be caused criminally\u201d<\/a>\u00a0by enacting the reform.<\/p>\n The Republican chair of a key Senate committee recently said he\u2019s expecting to take up legislation this year that would make Pennsylvania the 25th in the U.S. to legalize adult-use marijuana. He also thinks that\u00a0more of his GOP colleagues could get on board with the reform<\/a>\u00a0soon than have in the past.<\/p>\n While many legalization advocates and observers think Pennsylvania is among the most likely states to pass a recreational marijuana law this session, the devil is in the details. One lawmaker has floated a\u00a0relatively simple bill to decriminalize personal possession<\/a>, while two others plan to introduce\u00a0more sweeping legislation that would legalize through a state-run system of stores<\/a>.<\/p>\n Laughlin last spring introduced a bill meant to\u00a0remove state barriers to medical marijuana patients carrying firearms<\/a>. While it didn\u2019t move forward, the lawmaker said in the recent interview that he believes political support for legalization more broadly has been building.<\/p>\n The senator said an event last May that the state is \u201cgetting close\u201d to legalizing marijuana, but\u00a0the job will only get done if House and Senate leaders sit down with the governor and \u201cwork it out.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Reps. Dan Frankel (D) and Rick Krajewski (D) announced in December that they planned to file legalization legislation, emphasizing that\u00a0there\u2019s a \u201cmoral obligation\u201d to repair harms of criminalization<\/a>\u00a0while also raising revenue as neighboring state markets mature.<\/p>\n Frankel said sponsors hope for a vote on the bill \u201csometime early spring,\u201d though questions remain as to whether the legislature would be willing to get behind the push to end cannabis prohibition, especially through the state-run sales model he is proposing.<\/p>\n A separate decriminalization measure, meanwhile, from Pennsylvania Rep. Danilo Burgos (D), would\u00a0make simple possession of cannabis a summary offense punishable by a $100 fine without the threat of jail time<\/a>. Currently, low-level possession is considered a misdemeanor, carrying a penalty of up to 30 days in jail, a maximum $500 fine or both.<\/p>\n Additionally, in September, bipartisan Reps. Aaron Kaufer (R) and Kinkead formally introduced a bipartisan marijuana legalization bill<\/a>, alongside 15 other cosponsors.<\/p>\n In July, the governor said his administration and lawmakers would\u00a0\u201ccome back and continue to fight\u201d for marijuana legalization<\/a>\u00a0and other policy priorities that were omitted from budget legislation he signed into law that month.<\/p>\n As for medical marijuana, the governor in October signed a\u00a0bill to correct an omission in a law that unintentionally excluded dispensaries<\/a>\u00a0from state-level tax relief for the medical marijuana industry.<\/p>\n About three months after the legislature\u00a0approved the underlying budget bill that Shapiro signed<\/a>\u00a0containing tax reform provisions as a partial workaround to a federal ban on tax deductions for cannabis businesses, the Pennsylvania legislature passed corrective legislation.<\/p>\n Separately, at a Black Cannabis Week event hosted recently by the Diasporic Alliance for Cannabis Opportunities (DACO) in October, Street and Reps. Chris Rabb (D), Amen Brown (D), Darisha Parker (D) and Napoleon Nelson (D) joined activists to\u00a0discuss their legislative priorities and motivations behind advancing legalization<\/a>\u00a0in the Keystone State.<\/p>\n Other lawmakers have also\u00a0emphasized the urgency of legalizing as soon as possible given regional dynamics<\/a>, while signaling that legislators are close to aligning House and Senate proposals.<\/p>\n As for cannabis and gun ownership, Laughlin had been looking at the issue for more than a year before introducing last year\u2019s bill,\u00a0writing last February to the state\u2019s acting police commissioner<\/a>\u00a0to \u201cstrongly encourage\u201d he review a federal ruling that the\u00a0U.S. government\u2019s ban on gun ownership by people who use marijuana is unconstitutional<\/a>.<\/p>\n Since then, further federal court cases have questioned the constitutionality of the federal firearm ban. A federal judge in El Paso, for example, recently ruled that the ongoing ban on gun ownership by habitual marijuana users was\u00a0unconstitutional in the case of a defendant who earlier pleaded guilty to the criminal charge<\/a>. The court allowed the man to withdraw the plea and ordered that the indictment against him be dismissed.<\/p>\n Supreme Court Asked To Settle Differing Interpretations Of Federal Medical Marijuana Protections Amid Lower Court Discrepancy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The post Key Pennsylvania GOP Senator Doesn\u2019t See \u2018Any Path Whatsoever\u2019 To Legalizing Marijuana Under Governor\u2019s Proposal<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A top Pennsylvania Republican senator says he doesn\u2019t \u201csee any path whatsoever\u201d to pass marijuana legalization as requested under the governor\u2019s latest budget. But a Democratic House colleague is pushing for the reform, saying he can\u2019t understand why Pennsylvania would forgo tax dollars from cannabis that are currently going toContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81,126],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80271"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80271"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80272,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80271\/revisions\/80272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: Key Pennsylvania GOP Senator Doesn\u2019t See \u2018Any Path Whatsoever\u2019 To Legalizing Marijuana Under Governor\u2019s Proposal<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"